Lipstick dispenser and applicator



Nov. 29, 1955 w. G. THOMPSON 2,725,140

LIPSTICK DISPENSER AND APPLICATOR Filed May 1, 1955 4% F z g j I}! L 5 E5 3 5i INVEN TOR.

United States Patent LIPSTICK DISPENSER AND APPLICATOR William G. Thompson, Clinton, Mass.

Application May 1, 1953, Serial No. 352,356

4 Claims. (Cl. 206-56) This invention relates to improvements in devices for dispensing and applying lipstick and like materials.

The principal objects of the invention are directed to the provision of a device for dispensing and applying lipstick and the like which is simple in form, efficient in operation and economical to manufacture.

The device of the invention is characterized by means for propelling the lipstick outwardly by rotation of a part in either direction in combination with means to releasably hold the lipstick in distended position when desired.

As an important feature of the invention, the cap is rotatable, when in place, without actuating the propelling means thereby to obviate the lipstick engaging the cap.

All of the above objects I accomplish by means of such structure and relative arrangements of parts thereof, as will fully appear by a perusal of the description below and by various specific features which will be hereinafter set forth.

To the above cited and other ends and with the foregoing and various other novel features and advantages and other objects of my invention as will become more readily apparent as the description proceeds, my invention consists in certain novel features of construction and in the combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more particularly pointed out in the claims hereunto annexed and more fully described and referred to in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of the holder of the device of the invention;

Figs. 2 and 3 are front and side elevational views of the cam member of the device;

Fig. 4 is an elevational view of the actuating member of the device;

Fig. 5 is a sectional elevational view on the line 55 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is an elevational view of the cap of the device; and

Fig. 7 is an elevational view of the assembled lipstick applicator and dispenser device.

Referring now to the drawings more in detail, the invention will be fully described.

The components of the device to be described will be formed from relatively thin material in order to provide a lightweight compact device. Various materials may be used but thin metal such as brass or the like has been found to be suitable as it is readily drawn, stamped and otherwise worked and is sufiiciently resilient for functioning of the various parts. The components in a general way include a holder 2, cam member 4, actuator 6, cap 8 and lipstick carrier 10.

The holder 2 is in the form of an elongated tube 12 having an enlarged lower end base 14 which closes the lower end thereof.

The carrier is cup-shaped and is reciprocable in the holder 2 between inner retracted and upper or outer distended positions. In an upper position, lipstick carried 2 a by the carrier is projected beyond the upper end of the holder as is usual in devices of this kind.

The carrier has a stud 16 on a side thereof which is slidable up and down in a longitudinal slot 18 of the holder. The upper end of the holder 12 is provided with an outer annular bead 20, as shown.

The cam member 4 is formed from a single piece of material into the shape of an elongated tube 22. Adjacent the lower end of the tube the wall thereof is upset outwardly to provide a key 24 having vertically disposed opposite side edges 26. A cam'groove 28 is provided in the tube 22 which extends from one side of the key longitudinally and spirally to the upper end thereof and then downwardly in a similar manner to an opposite side of said key.

By beingformed from a single piece of material as distinguished from plural pieces the cam groove has a uniform transverse width to facilitate smoothness in operation.

-Said groove 28 is adapted to slidably receive the stud 16 of the carrier and adjacent the upper end of the tube said groove is formed with a fiat dwell portion indicated by 30.

The cam member 4 is slightly expansible and is slipped downwardly over the holder and below the bead 20 thereof. The stud 16 extending through the slot 18 of the holder extends into the cam groove 28. The cam member 4 is rotatable on the holder therefore and with the stud 16 disposed in the slot and cam groove as aforesaid the cam member may be easily rotated in either direction to move the carrier in and out in the holder.

The cam member 4 may be rotated to locate the stud 16 in the upper or outer dwell 30 of the cam groove so that the carrier and lipstick are held in extended position. This is desirable when using the lipstick or in inserting the lipstick material into the carrier. Pressure against the lipstick material does not cause the carrier to retract which is an advantage of the dwell.

The actuator 6 is in the form of an open ended tube 32 and a portion at the lower end thereof is offset outwardly to provide an axial key-way 34 having a transverse width to receive the opposite edges 26 of the key 24 of the cam member 4.

A tongue 36 is struck from the keyway portion of the wall of theactuator and is convexed at 38, as shown in Fig. 5. Said tongue functions as a spring detent for the cap 8.

The actuator 6 is slipped downwardly over the cam member 4 which surrounds the holder 2 and the keyway 34 thereof slides downwardly over the key 24 of the cam. Said actuator frictionally engages the bead 20 of the holder and the longitudinal sides of the keyway 34 engage opposite sides 26 of the key 24 so that as the actuator is rotated the cam member is rotated thereby. The actuator may be rotated in opposite directions to rotate the cam member.

The cap 8 is in the form of a tube 40 having a closed upper end 42. The said cap adjacent its lower end is formed to provide an internal annular groove 44 as shown in Fig. 6.

The cap 8 is slipped downwardly over the actuator 6 and the detent 38 is received in the groove 44 of the cap. The parts are so arranged that the detent releasably holds the cap against accidental displacement while the said cap may rotate about without rotating the actuator. This is referred to as free wheeling of the cap and obviates danger of the actuator being turned so that the lipstick material is propelled to engage the end of the cap.

It will be noted that the coacting key and keyway of the actuator and cam member provide means for rotating the latter by the former for the action of the cam groove and slot in moving the carrier in opposite directions.

It will be observed that the cam member is formed from a single piece of material which insures that the cam groove has a uniform constant width not only embracing the stud at all times but providing smooth operat-ion.

Heretofore the cam means in devices of the type to which the invention relates have been made from plural pieces of material which is objectionable for .the reason the parts do not maintain their desired relationship.

The device is composed of relatively few parts each of which may be economically formed and which when assembled maintain their relationship and operate smoothly and efficiently.

Not only is the free wheeling of the cap desirable and advantageous but .the actuator may be rotated in opposite directions for effecting the desired movement of the carrier and as an advantage-the carrier :may be releasably held in distended position by locating the stud thereof in the dwell of the cam groove.

The inventionmay :be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the essential characteristics thereof. Hence, the present embodiments :are therefore to be considered in all respects merely as being illustrative and not as being restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description, and all modifications and variations as fall within the meaning and purview and range of equivalency of the appended claims are therefore intended to be embraced therein.

What it is desired to claim and secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

l. A dispensing device of the reversible continuous type for cosmetic material comprising in combination, an elongated tubular holder having an elongated slot along and through a side well thereof and being provided its upper end with an outer annular head, a cup shaped carrier for cosmetic material slidable in said holder having a stud extending through and outwardly of the slot therein, an elongated one piece thin walled tubular cam member surrounding said holder below the bead thereof having a slit through and along the wall at one side thereof, portions of the wall of the cam member adjacent the lower end thereof at opposite sides of said slit being offset outwardly to provide a projectiru key, said cam member provided in the wall thereof with a cam slot receiving the stud of the carrier and extending from opposite sides of said key in opposite directions upwardly and around the cam member to a fiat dwell portion thereof disposed transversely to the longitudinal axis of the cam member and adjacent the upper end thereof on a side opposite to the slit therein, an elongated tubular actuator surrounding said cam member frictionally engaging the head of the holder at its upper end and provided at its lower end with a portion offset outwardly forming an inner key way in which the key of the cam member is disposed whereby the said cam member may be turned about the holder by the actuator, and cap having a closed end for surrounding the actuator, and means for releasably holding the cap against axial displacement from the actuator and permitting free rotation of said cap on said actuator.

2. A dispensing device set forth in claim 1 wherein the means for releasably holding the cap on the actuator includes an annular groove around the lower portion of the cap in which is receivable a spring detent formed in the key way forming portion of the actuator.

3. A dispensing device of the reversible continuous type for cosmetic material comprising in combination, an elongated tubular holder having an elongated slot along and through a side wall thereof and being provided at its upper end with an outer annular bead, a cup shaped carrier for cosmetic material siidable up and down in said. holder in propel and repel directions having a stud extending through and outwardly of the slot therein, an elongated one piece thin walled tubular cam member rotatably surrounding said holder below the bead thereof having an elongated slit through and along the wall at one side thereof, portions of the wall of the cam member adjacent the lower end thereof at opposite sides of said slit being offset outwardly to provide an outwardly projecting key and an inner circumferentially extending groove inwardly of said key forming a portion of a cam slot, said cam member provided in a wall thereof with a cam slot receiving the stud of the carrier extending from opposite ends of said groove as continuations thereof and in opposite directions around and upwardly to a fiat dwell portion provided in said slot disposed on a side of the cam member opposite to the slit therein and adjacent the upper end of said cam member and transversely to the longitudinal axis thereof whereby an endless slot for said stud is provided for movement of said stud and carrier in propel and repel directions, an elongated tubular actuator surrounding said cam member provided at the lower end thereof with an outwardly offset portion forming an inner key-way in which the key of the cam member is disposed whereby said cam may be rotated by said actuator on the holder in either direction to move the carrier in propel and then in repel direction or rotated in one direction to move the carrier in propel direction and then rotated in an opposite direction to move the carrier in repel direction, a cap having a closed end for surrounding the actuator, and means for releasably holding the cap against axial displacement from the actuator and permitting free rotation of the cap on the actuator.

4. A dispensing device set forth in claim 3 wherein the means for releasably holding the cap on the actuator includes an annular groove around the lower inner portion of the .cap in which is receivable a spring detent formed in the key-way forming portion of the actuator.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,072,662 Abbotts Mar. 2, 1937 2,173,600 Thompson Sept. 19, 1939 2,542,033 lsele Feb. 20, 1951 2,523,457 Thompson Sept. 26, 1950 2,526,880 Kullmann Oct. 24, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS 692,131 France July 28, 1930 

